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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29487132">I Want To Go On A Date With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincesaPetalito/pseuds/PrincesaPetalito'>PrincesaPetalito</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>El Ristorantino de Arnoldo (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Feels, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Palillos is the new Plato Irresistible but so much worse lol, Set afrer Palillos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:40:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29487132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincesaPetalito/pseuds/PrincesaPetalito</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After all the unnecessarily stressful events with the foreign customer,a very distraught Francis accepts to go on a date with his co-worker and new best friend Alina.</p><p>Without knowing it was a date.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arnoldo/Francis, Francis &amp; Alina</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Want To Go On A Date With You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have this headcanon that initially Alina had this huge crush on Francis but was soon friendzoned by him because Arnoldo exists lol</p><p>Some references to my Helado de Frutilla fic, basically the part where Francis had a beef with Harmony.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Gracias, Ali, but unfortunately I don't believe there's any tea in the world that can possibly help me with this."</p><p>Francis had stared for what felt like forever at his and Arnoldo's picture hanging by the Memories Wall when Alina practically materialized in front of it, a tight,nervous smile adorning her beautiful,round features as she kindly offered her deeply distressed friend passionflower tea.</p><p>All the aspiring magician could think about was how much he was happier then and had not realized sooner.</p><p>Now it just feels like it's too late.</p><p>"You know, Fran.....maybe a walk on the beach would help, you told me you haven't had the chance to go there yet.This could be it!!!!" the ever joyful,brunette waitress told the curly-haired boy,squeezing Francis' free hand as he slowly, dejectedly sipped his tea.</p><p>She was right.....or half right at least,he had been on the beach when he and Arnoldo first got to Bahía Bonita but going there just to pass the time and relax?</p><p>He just didn't have the time for that.</p><p>But on the other hand, Alina's smile is so warm and contagious, it's like nothing could ever go wrong when you're beside her, Francis instinctively found himself nodding his head yes, the long-haired waitress clapped her hands together in excitement and practically pulled her older friend out the door in a flash.</p><hr/><p>The sand was rough and heavy yet soft and soothing against Francis' crocs-clad feet,it was already dark out,the wind was howling, the moon was gorgeously bright high up in the sky surrounded by thousands and thousands of stars.</p><p>It would have been so perfect if the aspiring magician had brought, had brought.....</p><p>If he had brought Arn-</p><p>"Look, Fran,the moon is huge tonight!!!!! Maybe we could stop here to stargaze!!! If we're lucky a shooting star might show up!!!!" Alina exclaimed happily,a skip to her giddy steps as she pointed at the sky,Francis isn't really sure when exactly they started holding hands, even less when his slender fingers intertwined with her bigger ones.</p><p>"Yeah...." the talented waiter said awkwardly,swallowing dry,feeling his heart beat faster and his hands start to feel clammy,a knot forming inside his stomach as both young adults sat on a towel set by Alina on the sand.</p><p>"If I were you, when we catch a shooting star,I would wish for a better boss, I don't know, what if Margarita actually finds another family member who's old enough to take over the Ristorantino? And they just happen to be really nice and friendly this time? Wouldn't you want that, Francis?" Alina questioned in her usual chirpy tone,her talented friend couldn't help but look confusedly at the beautiful,cheerful young woman before him.</p><p>"No sé, Ali......... Arnoldo is already very nice and friendly." the raven-haired boy shrugged helplessly,hunching over himself.</p><p>However it was very hard for Alina to contain her laughter before her beloved friend even finished his sentence,she adorably covered her mouth yet her whole face was hot and red by now.</p><p>"I <em>mean</em> it, Alina! He's not bad, he's just having a hard time adapting to this new routine, give him some time...." Francis insisted,licking the inside of his round cheeks and pouting childshly, he's painfully aware that his Boss and partner has been..... difficult lately.</p><p>Nonetheless the loyal waiter is not willing to give up on the Italian Chef just yet,they didn't travel together all the way over here to just break up.</p><p>Arnoldo just needs time to adjust..... or at least that's what Francis has been (foolishly?) telling himself all these past weeks.</p><p>"And what about you, Fran?" Alina queried sweetly,catching a relatively distracted waiter off guard, he could swear she wasn't that close to him seconds ago.</p><p>"What about me?" the charming assistant blinked a few times,hands fiddling with the hem of his bowtie stamped shirt,this sudden proximity was starting to get slightly overwhelming, his heart pounded faster inside his soft chest.</p><p>"Are <em>you</em> still adapting?" Alina scoots a few inches closer,subtlely putting her hand over Francis',soothingly massaging the surface with the back of her thumb,she appeared to be nervous as well but it looked incredibly endearing on her charming,chubby features.</p><p>Still Francis hated how it all just reminded the curly-haired boy of <em>him</em>,how even despite <em>everything</em>,the hardworking assistant still wished he could take his Grand Chef to a nice date on the beach just like this.</p><p>Another part of him just really wishes also that he could allow himself to simply enjoy this one moment of serenity and peace with a person who's genuinely delightful to be around at <em>all</em> times.</p><p>"I.....think so,yeah." the stressed head of staff shakily breathed out,Alina gently putting her head on his broad shoulder,not letting go of Francis' hand.</p><p>Pretending to watch the calming waves ahead of her yet actually focusing on his rapid breathing instead while her older friend stared hopelessly up at the beautiful starry sky,knowing fully well that there were no magical solutions to his many problems up there.</p><hr/><p>"Do you want to finish this date by watching a movie at my place?? Nothing else,I promise,if you don't-" Alina and Francis had walked back into town laughing,feeling light and airy as if they could fly, her holding on to his broad arm the entire time as they joked around and made easy conversation.</p><p>Until...... they got close to the Ristorantino and the chipper waitress would make the surprisingly unexpected remark that would instantly fill the air with heavy,awkward tension.</p><p>"Wait,this was a <em>date</em>?!" Francis immediately panicked,letting go of his friend's thick arm as if it had burned him,only now genuinely realizing that <em>that</em> arm wasn't actually Arnoldo's,he was just daydreaming again.</p><p>Alina can do so much better than having to go through terrible situations such as this.</p><p>"It wasn't obvious?! Fran,we held hands while walking by the beach, we laughed while throwing water at each other,we stargazed and ate snacks for an hour then I invited you to my place to watch a movie,it's a <em>date</em> or at least it was supposed to be a date." Alina's sweet voice trembled slightly, this was the first time Francis was allowed to see her looking genuinely upset and it broke his heart.</p><p>But it wasn't his fault, he has never been on a date before,he has no idea how those even work.</p><p>"I-I...... I'm sorry, Ali, but there was a big misunderstanding.I already- have someone,I can't be on a date with you, I didn't even know what a real date was like right until now!!!!" Francis exclaimed in frustration, closing and opening his fists the way he knew...... <em>Arnoldo</em> would do.</p><p>"What do you mean, Francis,you're not making any sense.....you have <em>someone</em> but you never went on a date?!" the long-haired brunette's pretty,round features adorably scrunched in absolute bewilderment,Francis sighed deeply,running a weary hand through his neatly gelled curls.</p><p>He has no time for this,there's already no one in the streets,all the lights are off,Arnoldo must be really worried by now.</p><p>And all that worry usually converts into the prideful Chef getting <em>sensitive</em>.</p><p>"Yeah,it's complicated.Look,Alina,it's already getting late,Arnoldo is probably wondering where I am right now,permiiiiso...." the aspiring magician excused himself,hunching over his big shoulders and turning around,more than ready to get back to his new home and no longer be part of this conversation, since he could basically tell where it was leading.</p><p>"Francis!" the talented waiter still turned back to his joyful friend out of reflex,pleading her with his big olive eyes to let him go unscathed.</p><p>"Who is it?" she merely asked,joining her hands in front of herself, playing with them to ease her anxiety, it hurt to know Francis wasn't actually available and likely led her on,he gulped nervously,fixing the sleeves of his shirt and looking at the ground.</p><p>He did not want to go through this again.</p><p>"Who is it what?" the charming waiter found himself shuffling his feet, playing innocent,hands trembling behind his back,fidgeting with one another.</p><p>"Who're you dating,I've never seen you with any-" as Alina spoke,Francis curled into himself even further,pointing a subtle foot and a light nod of the head in the direction of the Ristorantino,biting his thin bottom lip in aprehension,her big brown eyes were comically wide as realization hit her like a million bricks and she felt stupid for not realizing sooner.</p><p>He <em>is</em> almost all Francis talks about,good or bad.</p><p>They already came to the Island together. </p><p>"<em>No</em>."</p><p>"There’s <em>no</em> way."</p><p>"Alina,espera-"</p><p>"He's too old for you and he mistreats you all the time,Fran,also he isn't exactly good-looking eith-" Noooo, the whole Harmony debacle again, here we go,the aspiring magician almost lost the helpful girl's friendship because of it.</p><p>Why is it so hard for other people to understand <em>them</em>?</p><p>"Ali-" Francis desperately reaches both hands towards the big,brunette girl,she gasps loudly,both her hands covering her red lips as if realizing something <em>else</em>.</p><p>"He's forcing you to do it!!!! He's blackmailing you,manipulating you,something-" Alina exclaimed and gestured frantically, she felt like she cracked some super secret code and Francis immediately loathed the now visible pity in her doe eyes.</p><p>"ALINA." Francis warned in a serious tone she had never heard on her friend before, the overworked waiter inhaled and exhaled sharply before finally speaking his mind.</p><p>Not before taking his sweet time pulling a gorgeous, golden ring off of one of his shorts pockets,it shone bright in the moonlight,something was obviously encripted on it,the aspiring singer with long,curly hair squinted her eyes to inspect it.</p><p>The full moon's shine from above revealed to Alina.....</p><p>Arnoldo's name.</p><p>"I'm sorry but you are <em>offending</em> me.I am <em>married</em> to him,he is <em>married</em> to me.For years now.I really like you,Alina but I can't go through all this with another dear friend who thinks I'm not old enough to know what I'm doing with my life." Francis ranted his feelings out,leaving no room for questions,instead of putting the wedding band back in his pocket,he put it on his finger and turned back around in the direction of the restaurant.</p><p>"Fran-"she tried to reach for his shoulder,tears falling silently down her red,chubby cheeks yet his voice could only be heard in the distance already.</p><p>"See you tomorrow at the Ristorantino."</p><hr/><p>"So how was it with Alina, Francis?" Arnoldo asked immediately,not even looking up from his current task as the talented waiter entered the kitchen,Francis raised a suspiscious, thick eyebrow as he walked closer to the mustached man.</p><p>Whatever was baking in the oven while the Chef cautiously poured raspberry shake into a handful of cups smelled divine.</p><p>Of <em>course</em> it did.</p><p>"Arnoldo,how did you-" Francis barely had the chance to say before he was not-so-kindly cut off, the last thing he needed right now was the stubborn Italian man getting back to his stalker ways.</p><p>He doesn't really <em>need</em> to do that when Francis has proven time and time again where his heart truly lies no matter what,tonight was just one of those many times.</p><p>"Alina told me she would take you for a walk,I didn't spy on you, Francis,if that's what you're thinking,I got better things to do." Arnoldo explained himself,setting two cups into the fridge,putting on oven mitts to take absolutely delicious looking baked potatoes out of the oven. Francis licked his lips,nearly salivating at the sight.</p><p>He <em>had</em> eaten snacks all night with Alina, even some rapibocados, but none of it even remotely compared to Arnoldo's food.</p><p>"So how was it?" Arnoldo finally locked eyes with his waiter,looking at the boy face to face,making the younger of the two jump in place but quickly recover his surroundings.</p><p>"What? Oh, uh..... Señorita Alina thought me and her were on a date,I cleared things up by telling her I'm already with you,she said the only way for me to have accepted being with you all this time was if you blackmailed me or manipulated me...." the aspiring magician confessed honestly, genuinely wanting to know the older man's opinion on the matter as he helped his boss set the plates,there was clearly way too much food for only two plates.</p><p>Arnoldo momentarily let go of his plate,turning to his ever loyal apprentice and noticing something very shiny on the raven-haired boy's hand as the sensitive Chef took it into his bigger palm,stroking his thumb over the very expensive and valuable ring with his name on it,glancing up resentfully at his partner of many years,appearing oddly curious about the other's response. "Hm,is she right,Francis? Do you agree with her?"</p><p>"No! She wasn't right about either,señor!" Francis barely realized he practically yelled the sentence until Arnoldo's soft,raspy chuckles filled his ears,the man letting go of him altogether, shaking his head in exasperation,taking out his own wedding band,casually placing it on his finger and going back to his plates.</p><p>Francis couldn't help the warm smile sneaking by the corners of his lips upon seeing the Grand Chef wearing <em>his</em> name as well. </p><p>"Then what are you so riled up about, Francis?! Here, take some baked potatoes." Arnoldo pushed a full plate of the dish in front of Francis, who was ready to foolishly decline it, both stiff hands in front of himself already.</p><p>"Arnoldo, I don't-" the talented waiter's bright olive eyes widened as a very generous forkful of baked potatoes was shoved mercilessly into his mouth,he should have seen that one coming,both men procceeded to take their dish and raspberry shakes to the dining area for their 'Midnight snack'.</p><p>"Gracias, señor,they're absolutely delicious." Francis proudly praised amongst his chewing,Arnoldo shook his head and narrowed his dark eyes in disapproval.</p><p>"Grazie,Francis,just please,don't eat with your mouth open,you know better than this.Now tell me what it's actually on your mind...."</p><p>Francis swallowed his food and hesitated for a moment as they sat by the Memories corner,the younger of the two taking one last glimpse at their picture together by the wall before saying with all the determination he could muster.</p><p>"Arnoldo I......I want to go on a date with you."</p>
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